How Many Original Pancake House Locations Are There?
The Original Pancake House is a popular family-style breakfast restaurant chain known for its wide selection of pancakes, waffles, omelets and other breakfast favorites. The first Original Pancake House opened in Portland, Oregon in 1953 by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke. Over the next several decades, the chain expanded across the United States through company-owned locations and franchising. Today, there are over 100 Original Pancake House locations across the country, all serving the restaurant’s signature pancakes, Belgian waffles and other breakfast classics in a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere.
Founding
The Original Pancake House was founded in 1953 in Portland, Oregon by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke. Drawing from their extensive knowledge in the culinary field, Highet and Hueneke aimed to bring the finest pancakes and waffles to customers along with other breakfast favorites like eggs benedict and apple pancake. Their original restaurant on SW Montgomery Drive and Barbur Boulevard seated just 20 people. Despite the small size, it quickly became a popular neighborhood spot known for quality ingredients and customer service.
Source: https://oph-mi.com/ourhistory/
Original Location
The very first Original Pancake House restaurant opened its doors in Portland, Oregon in 1953. The original location was a small 10-stool diner on Southwest Barbur Boulevard. It was opened by two businessman, Les Highet and Erma Hueneke, who saw an opportunity to bring authentic pancake recipes to the area.
This first little Pancake House became extremely popular among locals for its delicious pancakes, waffles and unique recipes. People loved the friendly atmosphere and homemade taste. This original location on Barbur Boulevard remained open for over 50 years before finally closing in 2005.
Early Expansion
The Original Pancake House saw rapid expansion in its early years. According to the OPH History – The Original Pancake House article, the founders opened their second location in 1960 in Portland, Oregon. By 1970, they had expanded to open 10 total locations across Oregon and Washington. In 1977, they opened their first location outside the Pacific Northwest in Edina, Minnesota, which marked a major milestone for geographic expansion according to an article in Edina Magazine. Within the first 20 years, The Original Pancake House saw significant growth from a single original location to over 10 locations across multiple states.
Nationwide Presence
The Original Pancake House continued expanding across the United States throughout the 1960s and 1970s. According to The Original Pancake House Wikipedia page, the restaurant reached nationwide presence by the late 1970s with locations across the country from the West Coast to the East Coast.
Total Original Locations
The Original Pancake House started with a single original location in Portland, Oregon in 1953 founded by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke. Over the next few years, Highet and Hueneke opened two more Original Pancake House locations in Oregon – one in Eugene in 1955 and one in Salem in 1957. By 1958, there were 6 total original company-owned locations across Oregon before franchising began in 1959. According to the Original Pancake House website, the chain expanded to open Original Pancake House restaurants throughout the Pacific Northwest and by 1961 there were 19 original company-owned locations. In the early 1960s, Original Pancake House expanded further down the West Coast into California, opening original locations in San Diego in 1963. By 1970, there were over 50 original company-owned Original Pancake House locations primarily concentrated along the West Coast across Oregon, Washington, and California.
Franchising
The Original Pancake House began franchising locations in 1958, just 5 years after the first restaurant opened in Portland, Oregon The Original Pancake House. Founders Les Highet and Erma Hueneke decided to expand the restaurant through franchising in order to bring their popular pancakes and breakfast food to more locations across the country. The first franchised location opened in 1959 in Eugene, Oregon. Over the next decade, Original Pancake House expanded to open several more franchised restaurants in Oregon as well as locations in Washington, California, and Illinois.
Current Locations
Today, there are over 100 Original Pancake House locations across the United States (The Original Pancake House Locations by State). The restaurant chain has expanded significantly from its humble beginnings as a single pancake house in Portland, Oregon. Original Pancake House restaurants can now be found in over 17 states, including Oregon, California, Washington, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, and many more.
Some of the states with the most Original Pancake House locations include California with 19, Minnesota with 12, Colorado with 11, and Illinois with 9 (The Original Pancake House Locations by State). While the chain started on the West Coast, it now has a strong nationwide presence across the country.
The Original Pancake House remains committed to upholding the same high standards of quality and service established by its founders back in 1953 at that very first pancake house in Portland. Even with over 100 locations today, each Original Pancake House strives to deliver that same memorable pancake experience to diners that has made the restaurant brand famous.
Fun Facts
The Original Pancake House had humble beginnings in Portland, Oregon in 1953. Founders Les Highet and Erma Hueneke used an old house to open the first restaurant with just a few tables and chairs [https://iloveoph.com/history]. According to The Original Pancake House website, the original restaurant only had room for 20 guests at a time [https://www.ophchicagoland.com/oph-history/].
The signature apple pancake was one of the original menu items dating back to the first restaurant in 1953. According to Wikipedia, the apple pancake remains the most popular menu item across all Original Pancake House locations [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Original_Pancake_House].
The Original Pancake House claims to have been one of the earliest franchised restaurant chains in the United States. The first franchise location opened in Anaheim, California in 1958 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Original_Pancake_House]. This was only 5 years after the original Portland restaurant opened.
Conclusion
The Original Pancake House began as a single location in Portland, Oregon in 1953. Founded by Les Highet and Erma Hueneke, the original restaurant became wildly popular for its delicious pancakes and unique recipes. Over the next couple of decades, the company slowly expanded to a handful of locations across the Pacific Northwest. Though initially regional, the Original Pancake House eventually grew into a nationally recognized brand with over 100 company-owned locations across the United States today. While franchising has allowed the chain to expand rapidly in recent years, the Original Pancake House still prides itself on the classic recipes and family-friendly service that originated at its first restaurant in Portland. Though no longer a small operation, the essence of the original remains.
